suburb of lay on the sunset side of asred and ragged as a cloud of sunset was built of a brightbrick throughout its skyline was fantastic and even its groundplan was wild had been the outburst of a speculative builderfaintly tinged with art who called its architecture sometimesand sometimes apparently under theimpression that the two sovereigns were identical was describedwith some justice as an artistic colony though it never in anydefinable way produced any art although its pretensions to bean intellectual centre were a little vague its pretensions to be apleasant place were quite indisputable stranger who looked forthe first time at the quaint red houses could only think how veryoddly shaped the people must be who could fit in to them whenhe met the people was he disappointed in this respect placewas not only pleasant but perfect if once he could regard it notas a deception but rather as a dream if the people were notartists the whole was nevertheless artistic young man withthe long auburn hair and the impudent facethat young man was notreally a poet but surely he was a poem old gentleman withthe wild white beard and the wild white hatthat venerablehumbug was not really a philosopher but at least he was the causeof philosophy in others scientific gentleman with the baldegglike head and the bare birdlike neck had no real right to theairs of science that he assumed had not discovered anything newin biology but what biological creature could he have discoveredmore singular than himself and thus only the whole placehad properly to be regarded it had to be considered not so muchas a workshop for artists but as a frail but finished work of artman who stepped into its social atmosphere felt as if he hadstepped into a written comedyespecially this attractive unreality fell upon it aboutnightfall when the extravagant roofs were dark against theafterglow and the whole insane village seemed as separate as adrifting cloud again was more strongly true of the manynights of local festivity when the little gardens were oftenilluminated and the big lanterns glowed in the dwarfishtrees like some fierce and monstrous fruit this was strongestof all on one particular evening still vaguely remembered in thelocality of which the auburnhaired poet was the hero was notby any means the only evening of which he was the hero manynights those passing by his little back garden might hear his highdidactic voice laying down the law to men and particularly towomen attitude of women in such cases was indeed one of theparadoxes of the place of the women were of the kind vaguelycalled emancipated and professed some protest against malesupremacy these new women would always pay to a man theextravagant compliment which no ordinary woman ever pays to himthat of listening while he is talking theredhaired poet was really in some sense a man worth listeningto even if one only laughed at the end of it put the old cantof the lawlessness of art and the art of lawlessness with a certainimpudent freshness which gave at least a momentary pleasure washelped in some degree by the arresting oddity of his appearancewhich he worked as the phrase goes for all it was worth darkred hair parted in the middle was literally like a womans andcurved into the slow curls of a virgin in a prepicturewithin this almost saintly oval however his face projectedsuddenly broad and brutal the chin carried forward with a look ofcockney contempt combination at once tickled and terrifiedthe nerves of a neurotic population seemed like a walkingblasphemy a blend of the angel and the apeparticular evening if it is remembered for nothing elsewill be remembered in that place for its strange sunset lookedlike the end of the world the heaven seemed covered with aquite vivid and palpable plumage you could only say that the skywas full of feathers and of feathers that almost brushed theface the great part of the dome they were grey with thestrangest tints of violet and mauve and an unnatural pink or palegreen but towards the west the whole grew past descriptiontransparent and passionate and the last redhot plumes of itcovered up the sun like something too good to be seen wholewas so close about the earth as to express nothing but a violentsecrecy very empyrean seemed to be a secret expressedthat splendid smallness which is the soul of local patriotism sky seemed smallsay that there are some inhabitants who may remember the eveningif only by that oppressive sky are others who may rememberit because it marked the first appearance in the place of thesecond poet of a long time the redhairedrevolutionary had reigned without a rival it was upon the nightof the sunset that his solitude suddenly ended new poet whointroduced himself by the name of was a verymildlooking mortal with a fair pointed beard and faint yellowhair an impression grew that he was less meek than he lookedsignalised his entrance by differing with the established poetupon the whole nature of poetry said that he poet of law a poet of order nay he said he was a poet ofrespectability all the looked at him as if hehad that moment fallen out of that impossible skyfact the anarchic poet connected the twoeventsmay well be he said in his sudden lyrical manner it maywell be on such a night of clouds and cruel colours that there isbrought forth upon the earth such a portent as a respectable poetsay you are a poet of law say you are a contradiction interms only wonder there were not comets and earthquakes on thenight you appeared in this gardenman with the meek blue eyes and the pale pointed beard enduredthese thunders with a certain submissive solemnity third partyof the group sister who had her brothersbraids of red hair but a kindlier face underneath them laughedwith such mixture of admiration and disapproval as she gavecommonly to the family oracleresumed in high oratorical good humourartist is identical with an anarchist he cried mighttranspose the words anywhere anarchist is an artist manwho throws a bomb is an artist because he prefers a great momentto everything sees how much more valuable is one burst ofblazing light one peal of perfect thunder than the mere commonbodies of a few shapeless policemen artist disregards allgovernments abolishes all conventions poet delights indisorder only it were not so the most poetical thing in theworld would be the it is said said who was very rational when anyone elseattempted paradox do all the clerks and navvies in therailway trains look so sad and tired so very sad and tired willtell you is because they know that the train is going right because they know that whatever place they have taken a ticketfor that place they will reach is because after they havepassed they know that the next station must beand nothing but their wild rapture ohtheir eyes like stars and their souls again in if the nextstation were unaccountably is you who are unpoetical replied the poet what yousay of clerks is true they can only be as prosaic as your poetryrare strange thing is to hit the mark the gross obviousthing is to miss it feel it is epical when man with one wildarrow strikes a distant bird it not also epical when man withone wild engine strikes a distant station is dull becausein chaos the train might indeed go anywhere to or toman is a magician and his whole magic is in this thathe does say and lo it is take your booksof mere poetry and prose let me read a time table with tears ofpride your who commemorates the defeats of man giveme who commemorates his victories me you go inquired sarcasticallytell you went on with passion that every time a traincomes in feel that it has broken past batteries of besiegers andthat man has won a battle against chaos say contemptuouslythat when one has left one must come to that one might do a thousand things instead and that wheneverreally come there have the sense of hairbreadth escape hear the guard shout out the word it is not anunmeaning word is to me the cry of a herald announcingconquest is to me indeed it is the victory ofwagged his heavy red head with a slow and sad smileeven then he said we poets always ask the question is now that you have got there  think like the know that the will onlybe like the poet will be discontented even in thestreets of heaven poet is always in revoltagain said irritably what is there poetical aboutbeing in revolt  might as well say that it is poetical to beseasick sick is a revolt being sick and beingrebellious may be the wholesome thing on certain desperateoccasions but hanged if can see why they are poeticalin the abstract isrevolting mere vomitinggirl winced for a flash at the unpleasant word but wastoo hot to heed heris things going right he cried that is poetical for instance going sacredly and silently right thatis the foundation of all poetry the most poetical thing morepoetical than the flowers more poetical than the starsthe mostpoetical thing in the world is not being sicksaid superciliously the examples you choosebeg your pardon said grimly forgot we had abolishedall conventionsthe first time a red patch appeared on foreheaddont expect me he said to revolutionise society on thislawn looked straight into his eyes and smiled sweetlydont he said but suppose that if you were seriousabout your anarchism that is exactly what you would dobig bulls eyes blinked suddenly like those of an angrylion and one could almost fancy that his red mane roseyou think then he said in a dangerous voice that amserious about my anarchismbeg your pardon  said not serious about my anarchism  cried with knottedfistsdear fellow said and strolled awaysurprise but with a curious pleasure he found still in his companyshe said do the people who talk like you and mybrother often mean what they say  you mean what you say now smiledyou  he askeddo you mean  asked the girl with grave eyesdear said gently there are many kinds ofsincerity and insincerity you say thank you for the saltdo you mean what you say  you say the world is rounddo you mean what you say  is true but you dont mean itsometimes a man like your brother really finds a thing he doesmean may be only a halftruth quartertruth tenthtruth butthen he says more than he meansfrom sheer force of meaning itwas looking at him from under level brows her face was graveand open and there had fallen upon it the shadow of thatunreasoning responsibility which is at the bottom of the mostfrivolous woman the maternal watch which is as old as the worldhe really an anarchist then she askedin that sense speak of replied or if you preferit in that nonsensedrew her broad brows together and said abruptlywouldnt really usebombs or that sort of thingbroke into a great laugh that seemed too large for his slightand somewhat dandified figureno he said that has to be done anonymouslyat that the corners of her own mouth broke into a smile andshe thought with a simultaneous pleasure of absurdityand of his safetystrolled with her to a seat in the corner of the garden andcontinued to pour out his opinions he was a sincere man andin spite of his superficial airs and graces at root a humble oneit is always the humble man who talks too much the proud manwatches himself too closely defended respectability withviolence and exaggeration grew passionate in his praise oftidiness and propriety the time there was a smell of lilacall round him he heard very faintly in some distant street abarrelorgan begin to play and it seemed to him that his heroicwords were moving to a tiny tune from under or beyond the worldstared and talked at the girls red hair and amused face forwhat seemed to be a few minutes and then feeling that the groupsin such a place should mix rose to his feet his astonishmenthe discovered the whole garden empty had gone long agoand he went himself with a rather hurried apology left with asense of champagne in his head which he could not afterwardsexplain the wild events which were to follow this girl had nopart at all he never saw her again until all his tale was overyet in some indescribable way she kept recurring like amotive in music through all his mad adventures afterwards and theglory of her strange hair ran like a red thread through those darkand illdrawn tapestries of the night what followed was soimprobable that it might well have been a dreamwent out into the starlit street he found it for themoment empty he realised in some odd way that the silencewas rather a living silence than a dead one outside thedoor stood a street lamp whose gleam gilded the leaves of the treethat bent out over the fence behind him a foot from thelamppost stood a figure almost as rigid and motionless as thelamppost itself tall hat and long frock coat were black theface in an abrupt shadow was almost as dark a fringe offiery hair against the light and also something aggressive in theattitude proclaimed that it was the poet had somethingof the look of a masked bravo waiting sword in hand for his foemade a sort of doubtful salute which somewhat moreformally returnedwas waiting for you said have a momentsconversationwhat asked in a sort of weak wonderstruck out with his stick at the lamppost and then at thetree this and this he cried about order and anarchyis your precious order that lean iron lamp ugly andbarren and there is anarchy rich living reproducingitselfthere is anarchy splendid in green and goldthe same replied patiently just at present you onlysee the tree by the light of the lamp wonder when you would eversee the lamp by the light of the tree after a pause he saidmay ask if you have been standing out here in the dark onlyto resume our little argumentcried out in a voice that rang down the street not stand here to resume our argument but to end it for eversilence fell again and though he understood nothinglistened instinctively for something serious began in asmooth voice and with a rather bewildering smilehe said this evening you succeeded in doing somethingrather remarkable did something to me that no man born ofwoman has ever succeeded in doing beforeremember resumed reflectively one other personsucceeded in doing it captain of a penny steamer if correctly at have irritated meam very sorry replied with gravityam afraid my fury and your insult are too shocking to be wipedout even with an apology said very calmly duelcould wipe it out struck you dead could not wipe it outis only one way by which that insult can be erased and thatway choose am going at the possible sacrifice of my life andhonour to prove to you that you were wrong in what you saidwhat saidsaid was not serious about being an anarchistare degrees of seriousness replied have neverdoubted that you were perfectly sincere in this sense that youthought what you said well worth saying that you thought aparadox might wake men up to a neglected truthstared at him steadily and painfullyin no other sense he asked you think me serious thinkme a flaneur who lets fall occasional truths do not think thatin a deeper a more deadly sense am seriousstruck his stick violently on the stones of the roadhe cried is this street serious thesedamned lanterns serious the whole caboodle seriouscomes here and talks a pack of bosh and perhaps some sense aswell but should think very little of a man who didnt keepsomething in the background of his life that was more serious thanall this talkingsomething more serious whether it was religionor only drinkwell said his face darkening you shall seesomething more serious than either drink or religionstood waiting with his usual air of mildness until opened his lipsspoke just now of having a religion it really true thatyou have onesaid with a beaming smile we are all nowmay ask you to swear by whatever gods or saints yourreligion involves that you will not reveal what am now going totell you to any son of and especially not to the policeyou swear that you will take upon yourself this awfulabnegations if you will consent to burden your soul with a vowthat you should never make and a knowledge you should never dreamabout will promise you in returnwill promise me in return inquired as the otherpausedwill promise you a very entertaining evening suddenlytook off his hatoffer he said is far too idiotic to be declined saythat a poet is always an anarchist disagree but hope at leastthat he is always a sportsman me here and now to swear asa and promise as a good comrade and a fellowartistthat will not report anything of this whatever it is to thepolice now in the name of what is itthink said with placid irrelevancy that we willcall a cabgave two long whistles and a hansom came rattling down theroad two got into it in silence gave through thetrap the address of an obscure publichouse on the bankof the river cab whisked itself away again and in it thesetwo fantastics quitted their fantastic towncab pulled up before a particularly dreary and greasy beershopinto which rapidly conducted his companion seatedthemselves in a close and dim sort of barparlour at a stainedwooden table with one wooden leg room was so small and darkthat very little could be seen of the attendant who was summonedbeyond a vague and dark impression of something bulky and beardedyou take a little supper asked politely patede foie gras is not good here but can recommend the gamereceived the remark with stolidity imagining it to be a jokethe vein of humour he said with a wellbredindifferencebring me some lobster mayonnaisehis indescribable astonishment the man only said and went away apparently to get itwill you drink resumed with the same careless yetapologetic air shall only have a crepe de menthe myself havedined the champagne can really be trusted let me start youwith a halfbottle of at leastyou said the motionless are very goodfurther attempts at conversation somewhat disorganised inthemselves were cut short finally as by a thunderbolt by theactual appearance of the lobster tasted it and found itparticularly good he suddenly began to eat with greatrapidity and appetiteme if enjoy myself rather obviously he said to dont often have the luck to have a dream like this new to me for a nightmare to lead to a lobster is commonlythe other wayare not asleep assure you said are on thecontrary close to the most actual and rousing moment of yourexistence here comes your champagne admit that there may bea slight disproportion let us say between the inner arrangementsof this excellent hotel and its simple and unpretentious exteriorthat is all our modesty are the most modest men that everlived on earthwho are we asked emptying his champagne glassis quite simple replied are the seriousanarchists in whom you do not believesaid shortly do yourselves well in drinkswe are serious about everything answered after a pause he addedin a few moments this table begins to turn round a littledont put it down to your inroads into the champagne dont wishyou to do yourself an injusticeif am not drunk am mad replied with perfectcalm but trust can behave like a gentleman in eithercondition smokesaid producing a cigarcase one ofminetook the cigar clipped the end off with a cigarcutter outof his waistcoat pocket put it in his mouth lit it slowly andlet out a long cloud of smoke is not a little to his creditthat he performed these rites with so much composure for almostbefore he had begun them the table at which he sat had begun torevolve first slowly and then rapidly as if at an insaneseancemust not mind it said its a kind of screwso said placidly a kind of screw simple thatisnext moment the smoke of his cigar which had been waveringacross the room in snaky twists went straight up as if from afactory chimney and the two with their chairs and table shotdown through the floor as if the earth had swallowed them rattling down a kind of roaring chimney as rapidly as a liftcut loose and they came with an abrupt bump to the bottom threw open a pair of doors and let in a redsubterranean light was still smoking with one leg thrownover the other and had not turned a yellow hairled him down a low vaulted passage at the end of whichwas the red light was an enormous crimson lantern nearly asbig as a fireplace fixed over a small but heavy iron door thedoor there was a sort of hatchway or grating and on this five times heavy voice with a foreign accent asked himwho he was this he gave the more or less unexpected replyheavy hinges began to move it wasobviously some kind of passwordthe doorway the passage gleamed as if it were lined with anetwork of steel a second glance saw that the glitteringpattern was really made up of ranks and ranks of rifles andrevolvers closely packed or interlockedmust ask you to forgive me all these formalities said have to be very strict heredont apologise said know your passion for law andorder and he stepped into the passage lined with the steelweapons his long fair hair and rather foppish frockcoat helooked a singularly frail and fanciful figure as he walked downthat shining avenue of deathpassed through several such passages and came out at lastinto a queer steel chamber with curved walls almost spherical inshape but presenting with its tiers of benches something of theappearance of a scientific lecturetheatre were no rifles orpistols in this apartment but round the walls of it were hung moredubious and dreadful shapes things that looked like the bulbs ofiron plants or the eggs of iron birds were bombs and thevery room itself seemed like the inside of a bomb knocked hiscigar ash off against the wall and went innow my dear said throwing himself in anexpansive manner on the bench under the largest bomb now we arequite cosy so let us talk properly no human words can giveyou any notion of why brought you here was one of those quitearbitrary emotions like jumping off a cliff or falling in loveit to say that you were an inexpressibly irritating fellowand to do you justice you are still would break twenty oathsof secrecy for the pleasure of taking you down a peg way youhave of lighting a cigar would make a priest break the seal ofconfession you said that you were quite certain was not aserious anarchist this place strike you as being seriousdoes seem to have a moral under all its gaiety assentedbut may ask you two questions need not fear to giveme information because as you remember you very wisely extortedfrom me a promise not to tell the police a promise shallcertainly keep it is in mere curiosity that make my queriesof all what is it really all about is it you objectto want to abolish abolish said opening the eyes of a fanatic not only want to upset a few despotisms and police regulationsthat sort of anarchism does exist but it is a mere branch of thedig deeper and we blow you higher wish todeny all those arbitrary distinctions of vice and virtue honourand treachery upon which mere rebels base themselves sillysentimentalists of the talked of the ofhate as we hate have abolished andand said with a simple eagerness hopeyou will abolish them too are much more troublesome to mespoke of a second question snapped pleasure resumed all your present acts andsurroundings there is a scientific attempt at secrecy have anaunt who lived over a shop but this is the first time havefound people living from preference under a publichouse havea heavy iron door cannot pass it without submitting to thehumiliation of calling yourself surroundyourself with steel instruments which make the place if may sayso more impressive than homelike ask why after taking allthis trouble to barricade yourselves in the bowels of the earthyou then parade your whole secret by talking about anarchism toevery silly woman in smiledanswer is simple he said told you was a seriousanarchist and you did not believe me do they believe metook them into this infernal room they would not believemesmoked thoughtfully and looked at him with interest onhistory of the thing might amuse you he said first one of the tried all kinds of respectabledisguises dressed up as a bishop read up all about bishopsin our anarchist pamphlets in the andof certainly understood from them that bishops arestrange and terrible old men keeping a cruel secret from mankindwas misinformed on my first appearing in episcopal gaitersin a drawingroom cried out in a voice of thunder downpresumptuous human reason they found out in some way that wasnot a bishop at all was nabbed at once made up as amillionaire but defended with so much intelligence thata fool could see that was quite poor tried being amajor am a humanitarian myself but have hope enoughintellectual breadth to understand the position of those who likeadmire violencethe proud mad war of and allthat you know threw myself into the major drew my sword andwaved it constantly called out abstractedly like aman calling for wine often said the weak perish it isthe well it seems majors dont do this was nabbedagain last went in despair to the of the who is the greatest man in is his name asked would not know it answered is his greatnessand put all their genius into being heard of andthey were heard of puts all his genius into not being heard ofand he is not heard of you cannot be for five minutes in theroom with him without feeling that and would havebeen children in his handswas silent and even pale for a moment and then resumedwhenever he gives advice it is always something as startlingas an epigram and yet as practical as the of saidto him disguise will hide me from the world can findmore respectable than bishops and majors looked at me with hislarge but indecipherable face want a safe disguise do youwant a dress which will guarantee you harmless a dress inwhich no one would ever look for a bomb nodded suddenlylifted his lions voice then dress up as an anarchist youfool he roared so that the room shook will ever expectyou to do anything dangerous then he turned his broad backon me without another word took his advice and have neverregretted it preached blood and murder to those women day andnight andby would let me wheel their perambulatorssat watching him with some respect in his large blue eyestook me in he said is really a smart dodgeafter a pause he addeddo you call this tremendous of yoursgenerally call him replied with simplicitysee there are seven members of the and they are named after days of the week is calledby some of his admirers is curious youshould mention the matter because the very night you have droppedin if may so express it is the night on which our which assembles in this room has to elect its own deputyto fill a vacancy in the gentleman who has for sometime past played with propriety and general applause thedifficult part of has died quite suddenly have called a meeting this very evening to elect a successorgot to his feet and strolled across the room with a sort ofsmiling embarrassmentfeel somehow as if you were my mother he continuedcasually feel that can confide anything to you as you havepromised to tell nobody fact will confide to you somethingthat would not say in so many words to the anarchists who will becoming to the room in about ten minutes shall of course gothrough a form of election but dont mind telling you that it ispractically certain what the result will be looked down for amoment modestly is almost a settled thing that am to bedear fellow said heartily congratulate you greatcareersmiled in deprecation and walked across the room talkingrapidlya matter of fact everything is ready for me on this table hesaid and the ceremony will probably be the shortest possiblealso strolled across to the table and found lying across it awalkingstick which turned out on examination to be a swordsticka large revolver a sandwich case and a formidable flask ofbrandy the chair beside the table was thrown aheavylooking cape or cloakhave only to get the form of election finished continuedwith animation then snatch up this cloak and stickstuff these other things into my pocket step out of a door inthis cavern which opens on the river where there is a steamtugalready waiting for me and thenthenoh the wild joy of beinghe clasped his handswho had sat down once more with his usual insolent languorgot to his feet with an unusual air of hesitationis it he asked vaguely that think you are quite a decentfellow do positively like you paused a momentand then added with a sort of fresh curiosity it because youare such an asswas a thoughtful silence again and then he cried outdamn it all this is the funniest situation have ever beenin in my life and am going to act accordingly gaveyou a promise before came into this place promise wouldkeep under redhot pincers you give me for my own safety alittle promise of the same kind promise asked wonderingsaid very seriously a promise swore before would not tell your secret to the police you swear byor whatever beastly thing you believe in that you willnot tell my secret to the anarchistssecret asked the staring you got a secretsaid have a secret after a pause youswearglared at him gravely for a few moments and then saidabruptlymust have bewitched me but feel a furious curiosity aboutyou will swear not to tell the anarchists anything you tellme look sharp for they will be here in a couple of minutesrose slowly to his feet and thrust his long white hands intohis long grey trousers pockets as he did so there camefive knocks on the outer grating proclaiming the arrival of thefirst of the conspiratorssaid slowly dont know how to tell you the truthmore shortly than by saying that your expedient of dressing up asan aimless poet is not confined to you or your haveknown the dodge for some time at tried to spring up straight but he swayed thricedo you say he asked in an inhuman voicesaid simply am a police detective think your friends comingthe doorway there came a murmur of was repeated twice and thrice and then thirty times and thecrowd of a solemn thought could be heardtrampling down the corridor